The Isolated Marchioness Just Wants to Make a Living - Chapter 230

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Part 2, Episode 35
“Even so, my Academy grades were quite respectable. And since the Young Lady will soon come of age, it’s hardly unusual to have an Adjutant. Naturally, I’m also equipped to serve as both Adjutant and bodyguard.”
But there was nothing wrong with what Jerdian said. For the second son of a Count family, a position as Adjutant to the Grand Duchess of Nogen was perfectly suited.
‘If I were to marry Leopold, there would be quite a lot of work to manage.’
In any case, I’d planned to stay locked away in the mansion, so having a trustworthy Adjutant to move about on the ground would certainly be useful.
And he possessed that impressive skill of Provocative Debate as well.
As I deliberated, I impulsively asked a question.
“Jerdian, what do you think of Alpheus?”
It was a simple question born from pure curiosity. In the original work, Jerdian had followed Alpheus quite devotedly.
“I think he’s a truly wonderful person.”
Jerdian answered immediately.
“That’s precisely why I prefer to be at the Young Lady’s side rather than the Marquis’s. If I were beside the Marquis, I’d appear far too negative, wouldn’t I?”
Jerdian continued with complete sincerity.
“But beside the Young Lady, I’d feel quite respectable indeed.”
I stared at him, flabbergasted.
So in the original work… the reason he remained at Alpheus’s side after his dark transformation was…
He was, in a different sense than Isabela, quite a remarkable person.
In the end, I’d been chosen by this version of Jerdian precisely because I looked darker than Alpheus.
Thus Alpheus lost all the support of his original allies.
“Hmm.”
I paused to think, then changed the subject.
“But why did you come, Jerdian? If the Russell Count family was going to send someone to ask a favor, Petro would have been better. We were classmates together at the Academy for two years.”
In fact, Petro, the third son of the Count family, had more acquaintance with me than Jerdian did.
Petro had a naturally mild and upright temperament; the fact that we weren’t close was entirely my own fault.
‘He said he was working as a teacher at the monastery, didn’t he?’
He was a good student and had a gentle disposition. Because he was a third son and couldn’t inherit a title, he’d chosen the path of a teacher early on.
Though he was staying in his territory over the school break, fundamentally he belonged to the monastery.
‘The salary may be modest, but it’s stable and honorable.’
So it seemed far more certain that Petro would handle whatever request was being made better than Jerdian.
“Ah, my father did think the same thing…”
Jerdian trailed off awkwardly.
“But Petro has a visitor right now. Ah, the Young Lady might know this person too. An Academy classmate, I believe.”
At Jerdian’s next words, my eyes widened.
“It’s Leah, the Young Lady of Count Dotson.”
Leah Dotson?
A name I could never forget.
Leah had subtly needled me throughout the Academy. She’d nearly become Leopold’s fiancée, and she’d frequently made a point of mentioning it to Leopold, all while constantly speaking negatively about political marriages…
But what was more surprising than all that was why Leah was in the Russell Territory.
“Leah and Petro shouldn’t have gotten along well.”
I furrowed my brow and continued.
“They were rivals the whole time at the Academy. Petro isn’t the type to have bad relations with anyone.”
“Then what kind of person am I supposed to get along with…?”
I couldn’t help but add one more thing here.
“Please refrain from self-centered interpretations.”
If he wanted to become my Adjutant candidate, he’d have to bear my sharp tongue now.
“By the way, once you become my Adjutant, there won’t be any more ‘pleases.'”
At my words, Jerdian flinched and then nodded.
“Yes, I understand. But Petro was also rather peculiar during his adolescence.”
He added, continuing to disparage his own blood relative.
“In any case, the two of them didn’t seem to be getting along well at all.”
It was then that Alpheus spoke carefully.
“Brisa? What do you think about going and helping them out for once?”
He displayed his protagonist complex in front of his former ally.
“Helping those in difficulty enriches our own hearts as well.”
“I’d prefer my stomach to be enriched rather than my heart.”
“A kind heart grows strongest when it reaches out to others.”
“But first you have to feed something for it to grow at all.”
Without mercy, I fired back and folded my arms, declaring:
“So let me make a promise, Jerdian.”
“Yes? Yes?”
“If I help with your seaweed cultivation, then for the next five years, five percent of the seasoned seaweed production will be supplied to the Sears Marquis Territory at cost.”
Originally, I’d made a vow. If Alpheus came back alive, I’d leave handling this chaotic world to other heroes.
I’d decided to worry only about our own safety from now on, not the world’s. That’s why I’d only promised as much as the Russell Count Territory asked and then withdrawn.
My firm conviction was that Sears had done its part, and it was time to retire.
But…
‘I’d like the children in our territory to taste seasoned seaweed too.’
It’s literally a healthy snack, after all.
‘Lately there are probably a lot of young children refusing meals because meat tastes off.’
Now that I was back in the territory, the desire to feed people began creeping back in.
‘Is it… not safe? There’s really no particular reason it wouldn’t be safe, is there?’
The Russell Territory was somewhere I’d been to before, so I felt less wary. And besides…
‘It was actually fun.’
Unlike when I’d rushed away from the Russell Marquis Territory in escape, the week I’d spent in Behila hadn’t actually been bad.
Those were days I’d spent against my own will. But examining an unfamiliar territory and offering advice on crops had actually been enjoyable.
It was a different kind of excitement from the years I’d spent shut away in the Sears Territory.
‘Is this safety complacency?’
But if Leopold hadn’t sent word, didn’t that mean nothing serious had happened yet?
He’d left urgently for the Western Region and had been out of touch since. Though it had only been two days, if any danger had arisen, he surely would have let me know at once.
“Of course! I’ll supply it forever!”
Jerdian practically jumped with joy.
I spoke firmly.
“No unfair contracts when food is involved.”
No matter how favorable a contract was to me, I had to keep my word.
Even after deciding, I rolled my eyes, wondering if it was the right choice, when Alpheus chuckled.
“Well done, Brisa. That’s a good decision.”
And he swung his mechanical arm with a shout.
“Let’s willingly become light in this dark territory!”
“Excessive metaphors are forbidden.”
I spoke coldly, yet somehow my heart felt lighter. It seemed I genuinely wanted to cultivate seaweed.
“I won’t need to pack much. Once we get the seaweed farm established, I’ll come right back.”
* * *
“There are things I need to buy.”
Brisa spoke with sparkling eyes.
“Let’s get them from Jezel Street.”
“Go with Jerdian.”
Alpheus waved his hand vaguely.
“I’ll be inspecting the Knight Order training.”
“All right. It won’t take long.”
So Brisa and Jerdian set off toward Jezel Street by carriage.
A smile played across Alpheus’s face as he watched the carriage disappear from view.
‘That’s right.’
The week spent in Gillab’s lands seemed to be showing results.
‘Brisa looks happiest when she’s growing food.’
There were many people loyal to Brisa in the Sears Territory, but no one dared defy her word.
So it made sense that no one had objected to her staying confined to the mansion these past few years.
Alpheus was determined to return her to who she’d been before. Of course, if he dragged her out by force from the start, she’d resist fiercely, so he had to be careful.
‘Even this time, though she said she’d come straight home, she agreed to go of her own will, so it’s a success.’
Alpheus grinned and absently touched his mechanical arm. Now that the sword was familiar to him, he’d improved considerably from the beginning.
‘Hiding away alone isn’t the answer. I have to let her go out into the world, feel many things, and learn.’
Perhaps the six years that had stood still weren’t his own time but hers. Because six years of adulthood and six years of adolescence carried different weight.
Though the continent still wasn’t at peace, it was Alpheus’s conviction that he had to unfold her wings.
‘It’s like the feeling of a mother bird pushing her chick off a cliff.’
With an overwhelming heart, Alpheus watched until the carriage disappeared beyond the bend in the road.
It was then, as he headed toward the Training Grounds.
“Over here, Lord Marquis.”
Masa approached.
“Actually… the Grand Duke of Nogen sent a letter to you. Without the Young Lady knowing.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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